Communicator FALL 2015
Wayzata School Board Election Nov. 3 THE WAYZATA PUBLIC Schools Board of Education has seven members who are elected at large to four-year terms. On November 3, 2015, voters will elect four members to four-year terms each. There are six candidates for the November 3 election, including two incumbents: Board Chair Linda Cohen and Board Clerk Cheryl Polzin. Board Treasurer Carter Peterson and Vice Chair Jay Hesby will not be seeking re-election. To learn more about the election and this year’s candidates, visit www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/ schoolboard.candidates.
MEET THE CANDIDATES!
A candidate forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 20 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. at the WHS Auditorium where community members can ask questions and hear from those seeking a spot on the school board.
Stand Against Stigma ON SATURDAY, October 10, the nonprofit HEART (Helping Every At Risk Teen) will host a free event to deepen community awareness and support on mental illness. Dr. Joel Oberstar, Prairie Care CEO, will speak, followed by a question-and-answer panel discussion. The event takes place from 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Hindu Temple of Minnesota, 10530 Troy Ln N, Maple Grove, MN 55311.
Excellence. For Each and Every Student.
Possible School Start Time Changes Considered By Superintendent CHACE B. ANDERSON
AT THE AUGUST 24 School Board Work Session, I presented board members with information regarding the possibility of changing school start times in Wayzata Public Schools effective at the beginning of 2016-17 school year. Recent attendance area changes and the planned opening of Meadow Ridge Elementary School in the fall of 2016 necessitated taking a look at school transportation routes and school start times for each of our schools. Further, it presented an opportunity for the school district to consider school start times that are in alignment with the natural sleep patterns, and consistent with the academic and medical research, of teenagers and adolescents. During recent years, the district has been studying the research advocating for later school start times for teenagers and adolescents and has received input from parents and community members around the topic. Three feasible start time scenarios were developed by district staff and the school district’s transportation consultants and presented to the school board for its consideration. The three
scenarios are titled: 1) Status Quo Scenario, 2) Research-Aligned Scenario and 3) Hybrid Scenario. Visit www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/ starttimes to view the report in its entirety. Attend School Start Time Information Meeting October 1
Parents, staff and community members are invited to attend an informational session on Thursday, October 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Central Middle School Auditorium to learn more about the academic and medical research that supports later school start times for teenagers and adolescents, and the scenarios presented to the Wayzata School Board. Kyla Wahlstrom, Ph.D. and Con Iber, M.D., experts in the field of adolescent sleep needs and school start times, will present information and answer questions from the audience. Final Decision Anticipated at October 12 School Board Meeting
Feedback from parents, staff and community members will be gathered throughout September and early October prior to the school board making a decision regarding start times at the October 12 meeting. Any changes approved by the board would take effect at the start of the 2016-17 school year. Thank you for your continued support of our schools. To learn more about school start times and submit feedback for consideration, visit www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/starttimes.
Construction Projects on Track CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS approved by voters in 2014 are moving along as planned according to Jon Deutsch, director of facilities and transportation. “We’re happy with the progress we made over the summer,” said Deutsch. “There’s a lot of work going on in the district, and we have been successful at maintaining schedules and staying on budget.”
Meadow Ridge Elementary School
Wayzata’s eighth elementary school, which is now officially called Meadow Ridge Elementary School after unanimous board approval in July, is on track to open in the fall of 2016. Work at Wayzata High School consists of a new four-story classroom addition, expanded cafeteria space, music/performing arts addition, gymnasium and locker rooms, and upper and lower commons areas. In addition, new secure entrances have been completed at both East and West Middle Schools.
South-facing view of Wayzata High School’s classroom addition
2 WHS’ New Support Structure Better Meets Students’ Needs ONE OF THE PRIORITIES of Wayzata High School (WHS) leaders is looking for ways to help a big school feel smaller and more personable for students and their families. To help achieve that goal, WHS has implemented a new student support structure. Floors will no longer be divided by grade; instead students will be assigned to Student Support Teams alphabetically. Each team will consist of an associate principal, dean, three counselors and a social worker. Students will stay with the same Student Support Team all four years of their high school career, allowing them to have more consistent support, stronger school-to-home communication and greater facilitation of support services. The new structure incorporates four new Dean of Students positions to WHS this year, pictured below.
Wayzata High School Wins Third Consecutive Challenge Cup THREE-TIME DEFENDING Challenge Cup champion, Wayzata High School won the 2014-15 Class AAA Challenge Cup by scoring 766 points in 19 different post-season team and individual tournaments. The Trojans won championships for the second consecutive year in both girls’ and boys’ cross country running. The girls’ Nordic ski and boys’ golf teams brought home state titles for those events. Wayzata also had first-place finishers in girls’ swimming and diving (200-yard individual medley, 200-medley relay), girls’ track and field (800-meter run), and boys’ cross country. Other points came from the school’s adapted sports teams, its dance team, and the girls’ gymnastics, boys’ Nordic ski racing, boys’ soccer, girls’ golf and girls’ lacrosse teams. Members of the debate and speech teams also contributed to the school’s overall success. The remaining top five Class AAA schools were Edina (591 points), Eden Prairie (568 points), Lakeville North (475 points), and Eastview of Apple Valley (414 points). Now in its 12th and final year, the Challenge Cup is a statewide, yearlong competition among Minnesota high schools. Points are awarded to schools based on their success in section and state fine arts and athletic tournaments. The school earning the most points at the end of the year in each classification – Class A, Class AA and Class AAA – receives the traveling Challenge Cup. The award is sponsored by Wells Fargo.
Young Scientist Roundtables Planned THE YOUNG SCIENTIST Roundtable will begin another season of programs beginning Monday, October 5 at 7 p.m. at Central Middle School (CMS).These programs introduce students in grades K-12 to working academic and industrial scientists who share their research, discoveries and innovations. The complete schedule for the upcoming 2015-2016 year is:
Pictured left to right: David Ritter, Billy Lahr, Lisa Barnholdt (McLaughlin) and Tyler Shepard.
Meet your Student Support Teams: 1st Floor: A-Hal and ALC Associate Principal: Alison Gillespie Secretary (A-Hal): Marge Bertleson Secretary (ALC): Moriah Gilbertson Dean of Students (A-Hal): Tyler Shepard Dean of Students (ALC: A220): Lisa Barnholdt (McLaughlin) Social Worker: Alison McKernan Counselor (A-Bri): Jane Stapleton Counselor (Brj-Dr): Amanda Randall Counselor (Ds-Hal): Jen Landy 3rd Floor: Ham-Or Associate Principal: Jeff Pawlicki Secretary: Ann Brattain Dean of Students: David Ritter Social Worker: Alec Albee Counselor (Ham-Kar): Mark Elias Counselor (Kas-Mal): Cindy McGunnigle Counselor (Mam-Or): Sarah Clutter 4th Floor: Os-Z Associate Principal: Marian Boyd Secretary: Deb Berscheit Dean of Students: Billy Lahr Social Worker: Becky Halvorson Counselor (Os-Sa): Brian Gildemeister Counselor (Sc-Te): Royce Kloehn Counselor (Tf-Z): Peggy Zimmer Special Education Supervisor: Lori Thomas Social Workers: Alison McKernan, Jennifer Bradley
Monday, October 5 Monday, October 12* Monday, November 2
Tuesday, December 1 Wednesday, January 13 Tuesday, February 2
Monday, February 29 Tuesday, April 19
All Young Scientist Roundtable events are free and open to students in grades K-12 and their parents/ guardians. No registration is needed. All Young Scientist Roundtable programs are held at CMS at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information, contact Charlene Barghini at charlene.barghini@wayzata.k12.mn.us. The Young Scientist Roundtable is funded, in part, by The General Mills Foundation. *Please note: This event takes place at Coon Rapids High School.
WHS Sophomore Ties for First at Pan American Junior Chess Championship AFTER WINNING the 2014 North American Junior Chess Championship last August in Ontario, WHS sophomore Andrew Tang represented the United States at the 2015 Pan American Junior Chess Championship held from July 15 to July 22 in San Salvador, El Salvador. Seventy junior chess players from North, Central and South American countries participated in this event. After nine rounds of intense competition, fourth-seeded Tang remained undefeated with a score of 7.5 out of 9 and tied for first with Kevin Cori from Peru. Tang, second from left, was awarded the 2015 Pan American Junior Chess Championship trophy in San Salvador.
3 WPS Among Top Performing Schools in the State
2015-16 WHS National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists Named Back row: Andrew Yablonsky, Andrew Gabler, Daniel Qu, Anthony Chen, Jeffrey Lee, Derek Feriancek, Vedran Hadziosmanovic, Andrew Docherty, Principal Scott Gengler; Middle row: Emily Short, Emma Baldry, Lauren Swenson, Ian Kariniemi, Kevin Qian, Cody Hou, Kevin Liu, Edward Mu, Michael Cai; Front row: Lucy Liu, Jessica Weng, Gowri Rao, Christine Kim, Gayathri Rao, Neha Bhatt, Nathaniel Ringo; Not Picture: Raymond He, Daniel Ibeling, Ryan Wang.
TWENTY-SEVEN STUDENTS from Wayzata High School’s class of 2016 have been named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. Congratulations to this year’s semifinalists: Emma Baldry Neha Bhatt Michael Cai Anthony Chen Andrew Docherty Derek Feriancek Andrew Gabler
Vedran Hadziosmanovic Raymond He Cody Hou Daniel Ibeling Ian Kariniemi Christine Kim Jeffrey Lee
Kevin Liu Lucy Liu Edward Mu Kevin Qian Daniel Qu Gayathri Rao Gowri Rao
Nathaniel Ringo Emily Short Lauren Swenson Ryan Wang Jessica Weng Andrew Yablonsky
About 1.5 million juniors entered the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2014 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. From the approximately 16,000 semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the finalist level in February. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of finalists and will be announced beginning in April.
Two Opportunities for Reading Volunteers DO YOU ENJOY working with kids? If so, there are two great opportunities to help Wayzata students both during and after school hours. Wayzata Public Schools is in need of volunteers for the district’s Literacy Volunteer Program, which pairs adults with third through fifth grade students who are struggling with reading. Students read to the volunteers once a week for a half hour at a time using a curriculum focused on award-winning children’s literature. Training is provided by the district’s language arts resource teacher, and there is room to work around individual schedules. For more information, contact Charlene Barghini at 763-745-5045 or by email at charlene. barghini@wayzata.k12.mn.us. IOCP (Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners) is also looking for up to 100 volunteers to assist with its weekly Homework Clubs. Volunteers provide general academic support, lead small group reading and act as a positive role model for elementary youth served by IOCP. The time commitment is an hour to an hour and a half per week, and adult and high school-aged volunteers are both needed. To get involved or learn more, contact Liz Erstad-Hicks at lerstad-hicks@iocp.org or 763-489-7506.
THE MINNESOTA Department of Education (MDE) released the 2015 Multiple Measurement Rating (MMR), which is Minnesota’s measurement of school performance. All of the Wayzata Public Schools earned an above average MMR rating, and all five of the District’s Title I schools were designated as a Reward School – the highest number of Reward Schools in one district in the state. The MMR public school accountability system uses multiple measures of student achievement on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) that students take each spring. A Multiple Measurements Rating is given to all schools in the state on an annual basis and measures school performance in the areas of proficiency, growth, achievement gap reduction and graduation rates. Notable Accomplishments - All seven elementary schools and three middle schools in the District had a 2015 MMR rating above the 80th percentile, placing them among the top tier of high performing schools statewide. Wayzata High School’s overall MMR rating was at the 93rd percentile, ranking it as one of the top performing high schools in the state. School Designations - While all schools receive a MMR rating, only schools that received Federal Title I funds are eligible for an additional designation. School designations are: • Reward Schools: the highest-performing 15 percent of Title I schools in the state. Birchview, Gleason Lake, Oakwood and Sunset Hill Elementary Schools, and Wayzata East Middle School were named Reward Schools this year. Sunset Hill has received the Reward School designation for all five years of eligibility, something only 14 out of the 119 Reward Schools have accomplished. • Celebration Eligible Schools: the highest-performing 15 to 25 percent of Title I schools in the state. Oakwood Elementary School was designated as Celebration Eligible last year and improved to a Reward School this year. • Continuous Improvement Schools: the lowestperforming 10 to 25 percent of Title I schools in the state. No Wayzata schools received this designation. • Focus Schools: the lowest-performing 5 to 10 percent of Title I schools in the state. No Wayzata schools received this designation. • Priority Schools: the lowest-performing 5 percent of Title I schools in the state. No Wayzata schools received this designation.
Three New Administrat ors Start Their Roles at WPS
MEET OUR NEW adminis trators, pictured left to right: Robin Henslin, early childhood special education coordinator; Mike Rice, associate principal, East Middle Sch ool; Ross Williams, principal, Sunset Hill Ele mentary.
Wayzata Public Schools 210 County Road 101 N. P.O. Box 660 Wayzata, MN 55391-0060
Communicator FALL 2015
Excellence. For Each and Every Student.
Retired Early Special Education Coordinator Honored
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adult Enrichment
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Nonprofit Org. US Postage Wayzata, MN Permit 43
DONNA MARGET, who recently retired from her role as an early childhood special education coordinator for Wayzata Public Schools, is being awarded the Rose C. Engel Award for Excellence in Professional Practice from the Division for Early Childhood. This is an international-level recognition for Marget’s exemplary leadership in early childhood education and children’s mental health. “We are thrilled to congratulate 2015 Donna on this well-deserved honor,” said Lori Fildes, WPS director of special services.
DANCE
The Communicator is published for residents and staff of Wayzata Public Schools. Contact Amy Parnell, director of communications and community engagement, at 763-745-5068 or amy.parnell@wayzata.k12.mn.us with questions or comments.
Wedding Dance Workshop: It’s Not Too Late to Look Great!
Saturday, Sep. 12 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Central Middle School
Wayzata’s Youth Service Leaders You thought about it! You wanted to! But where did the time Not to worry. In this 2-hour workshop, learn fun moves and Volunteer at IOCP go? simple tips to have you feeling comfortable and looking great on WAYZATA HIGH SCHOOL’S youth serviceday! program Club Y.E.S.song, – is if desired. that special Bring–your special kicking the year off right! The Student Advisory Leadership Board of Club Y.E.S., which stands for Youth Extending Service, met on Monday, Aug. 31 and helped IOCP (Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners) prepare for its Back to School event. After volunteering together, the student leaders participated in leadership training activities as part of their Leadership Day. SIGN UP AT: https://goo.gl/KskjVl
Couples only. $39 per pair for 1 class Adults Only Monica Mohn Some photos courtesy of Getty Images
Sign up today, don’t miss out! www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/ces